How to Get to Malapascua: Routes & Prices (2026)

If you’ve already read our guide to things to do in Malapascua, you’re probably convinced that this slice of Philippine paradise belongs on your Philippines itinerary. To make getting to this beautiful island easy, we’ve put together all the information you need on how to get to Malapascua as comfortably as possible, with different options to suit every budget and need.

Table of Contents

Where is Malapascua?

Malapascua is a tiny teardrop (of happiness) located north of Cebu, in the Visayas region. A 6.8-kilometer strait separates it from its big sister, and the port where boats depart is called Maya.

In Malapascua, you’ll find a pier on Logon Beach (commonly called Barrio), but bangkas sometimes also drop passengers off at Bounty Beach.

The closest airport is in Cebu City, with both domestic and international flights. Cebu City and Maya are approximately 130 kilometers apart.

How to get to Malapascua from Cebu

To get to Malapascua, you’ll most likely head to Cebu City first, either flying in from another part of the country or arriving by boat from nearby islands such as Bohol or Siquijor. Once you’re in the city, there are several ways to reach your destination, each with a different cost and travel time.

You can start by looking for flights to Cebu here.

1) How to get to Malapascua on a budget

The cheapest way to get to Malapascua is to take the public bus from Cebu North Bus Terminal (keep in mind that since 2023, it’s been at this location, next to the SM mall). Getting there from the airport by taxi or Grab costs approximately 300 pesos and takes half an hour, although that depends a lot on traffic. It’ll take a little less time if you’ve arrived at the Port of Cebu from Bohol, for example.

Travel Around the Philippines tip: when you arrive at the airport or port, you can ask whether the shuttle buses to this terminal are still running. The fare is 50 pesos, so you can save a few pesos.

Once you’re at Cebu North Bus Terminal, you’ll have two transportation options to get to the Port of Maya, where boats leave for Malapascua: the public bus and the van. Whichever you choose, you won’t have any trouble finding them, as several people will approach you when you arrive to ask where you want to go. The bus without air conditioning costs around 250 pesos, the air-conditioned bus around 320, and the private van 350 pesos. Each has its pros and cons.

The van goes straight to the Port of Maya, so it’s much faster and can get there in 4 hours as long as traffic allows (sometimes even less). The public bus, on the other hand, picks up and drops off passengers all along the way, so your journey could take more than 6 hours. Some people find the bus more comfortable because you can have more space if it isn’t full, but based on our experience, we tend to recommend taking the van every time. If both options are full, the bus can feel just as cramped.

Taking the bus without air conditioning to get to Malapascua from Cebu won’t save you much. The fare for this trip is 250 pesos.

Keep in mind that the earlier you leave, the better. If you can, around 6:00 a.m. would be ideal. By around 8:00 a.m., there’s usually already quite a bit of traffic leaving Cebu, which makes the trip much longer. As for the bus schedule to Maya: buses run 24 hours a day, although they’re more frequent from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., when they run roughly every 30 minutes.

If you can, take a Ceres Liner bus (they’re usually yellow), as they’re more comfortable.

2) How to get to Malapascua by private transportation

If you’d like a more comfortable journey to Malapascua using private transportation, you can hire a taxi. Your bargaining skills will play a big part here. It used to be a little cheaper, but with gas prices going up, it’s now hard to get a fare below 3,000-3,500 pesos (if you’re a good negotiator or use our contact, you can get it for 2,500). If there are more than 4 of you, you can also negotiate a price of 4,000-5,000 pesos for a van. Many of the hotels to stay at in Malapascua also offer a transfer service to the island, although they usually charge even more.

Leave us a comment if you’d like the contact details of a taxi driver for the trip from Cebu to Maya.

If you’d like, you can also book a taxi or van in advance here.

Bangka from the Port of Maya to Malapascua

The overland journey from Cebu or Bantayan (as you’ll see below) will take you to the Port of Maya, where you’ll need to catch the boat that will, at last, bring you to Malapascua. The fare is 200 pesos per person. The boat trip from Maya to Malapascua takes approximately 45 minutes. You’ll also need to pay an environmental fee of 140 pesos per person.

UPDATE: due to rising oil prices, the boat fare is temporarily 240 pesos.

If you want to get to Malapascua as soon as possible once you reach the Port of Maya and don’t want to wait for the next boat to leave, you can charter a boat privately for 2,000 pesos. This is what’s called a “special trip”. This has become very common, and they’ll try their hardest to get you to pay for a private boat. Be patient; the regular boats do eventually leave as more people arrive.

You can’t book tickets for these boats online in advance, but don’t worry, you’ll always find a spot.

Keep in mind that the schedule for public boats from Maya to Malapascua runs roughly from 7:00 a.m. to 500 p.m. If you arrive outside these hours, in theory, sailing is not allowed after 5:00 p.m. (if you find a different schedule elsewhere, bear in mind that it will be out of date, because since May 2026, sailing has only been allowed until 5:00 p.m., as clearly stated here). As for places to stay, there aren’t many options, but Suba Beach Nipa Huts is cheap, and there’s nothing like waking up in a cabin overlooking the sea. Arriyus Apartelle is a new contender offering comfortable accommodation.

Even though it isn’t allowed, these boats often end up leaving anyway… That said, you’ll probably have to pay the 2,000 pesos it costs to charter the whole boat, plus a little extra for traveling outside regular hours. If you think you’ll arrive late and don’t mind paying more, many hotels arrange transfers to Malapascua even at night.

Heads up, for several years now, there have been two ports in Maya: the new one and the old one. Most boats currently leave from Maya’s New Ferry Terminal.

Most boats dock in Logon (Barrio), where a pier has been built, making it easy to get off.

How to get from Bantayan to Malapascua

You might also want to get to Malapascua from Bantayan Island. In this case, you also have three options: the cheap, slow ones (one more so than the other), or the fast, more expensive one.

How to get from Bantayan to Malapascua quickly

If you want to save time and get to Malapascua as soon as possible, don’t hesitate to hire a private boat. You can easily arrange this by heading to the port or asking at your hotel or resort. The price is around 3,000 pesos, making it a great option if you’re traveling in a group since you pay for the boat, not per passenger.

The journey usually takes between 2 and 3 hours, but in rough seas, it can take longer and become dangerous. In that case, we recommend playing it safe and choosing the slow, cheap option.

Leave a comment on this post, and we’ll be happy to give you the information you need to get from Bantayan to Malapascua by boat.

How to get from Bantayan to Malapascua on a budget

If you’re planning to get to Malapascua from Bantayan, there are two ways to do it.

1) Via Medellin

Boats run from Santa Fe in Bantayan to Alpine Port in Medellin (Kawit). A company called Aznar Shipping operates this route every day at 8:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. In the opposite direction, from Kawit to Santa Fe, departures are at 6:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 2:30 p.m.

Tickets cost 250 pesos, and the trip takes about 75 minutes. You can check schedules and book through this link. Then take a tricycle to Daanbantayan (around 60 pesos) and wait for any bus heading to Maya (20 pesos). According to one traveler who shared their experience with us, if all your connections line up, you can complete this whole journey in less than 2.5 hours.

2) Via Hagnaya

If the boat schedules above don’t work for you, or perhaps the boats aren’t running because the sea is too rough, and you want to save money getting to Malapascua, you can take the following route:

Take a ferry from Bantayan to the Port of Hagnaya. This first leg takes about 75 minutes, and you’ll pay 240-350 pesos for the ferry (depending on the company) + 10 pesos in port fees.
Once there, take a tricycle to the junction with the road to Maya (Don Pedro). The distance between the two points is less than 6 kilometers, so the usual fare is around 70 pesos for the whole tricycle.
When you get there, you’ll need to catch a bus heading north to the Port of Maya. The bus fare is approximately 75 pesos, although it depends on the type of bus.
Take the boat from Maya to Malapascua, which costs 200 pesos.

Traveling this way, you can get from Bantayan to Malapascua for around 700 pesos per person. As you can see, the previous option is a little cheaper and faster.

How to get from Leyte to Malapascua

If you’re on the island of Leyte, perhaps because you’ve come to visit the Cuatro Islas or to swim with whale sharks in Pintuyan or Padre Burgos, you can also get to Malapascua without going through Cebu. We’re not saying the journey won’t be tiring or that it’ll be easy, but it’s possible.

Be patient with transportation in Leyte. The island sees very few tourists, and connections between places aren’t great.

There are basically 3 ways: via Kalanggaman, via the Port of Bogo, or via the Port of Cebu. We think the first option makes the most sense because Kalanggaman is a beautiful island that you’ll probably want to visit while you’re in Malapascua, so this way you can fit it into the journey. Still, we’ll walk you through the options so you can decide.

1) How to get from Padre Burgos to Malapascua via Kalanggaman

If you’re in Padre Burgos, a great spot for whale shark sightings and diving, you can follow these steps to get to Malapascua:

Take a bus to Maasin. Don’t expect to find a bus stop; you’ll need to wait by the road and flag one down as it passes. The journey takes about 30-40 minutes and costs 50-60 pesos, depending on the type of bus. They usually start passing through around 6:00 a.m.
Take another bus to Ormoc. The journey takes about 4 hours, and tickets cost around 150 pesos.
As with the previous leg, take a van or bus to Palompon. You know those vans can be a white-knuckle ride, but they’re much faster because they don’t make stops. The fare is 150 pesos, and the trip takes about 90 minutes. The bus, on the other hand, costs half as much but can take up to 3 hours.
Take a boat to Kalanggaman from the Palompon tourism office. These boats leave in the morning, as they head out for a day trip and return afterward. The trip usually starts around 6:00 a.m. We recommend getting there early to find a group to share with, as you’ll be charged 4,500 pesos (for a boat that holds up to 20 people). Try negotiating by explaining that you’re only going one way, and see how it goes. Since you’ll be passing through Kalanggaman, you’ll need to pay the environmental fee of 1,000 pesos per person. At this point, you can stay overnight on Kalanggaman (the fee goes up to 1,500 in this case) or go to Malapascua the same day. You’ll find all the information in our guide to Kalanggaman.
Take a boat from Kalanggaman to Malapascua. As with the previous leg, these aren’t “scheduled” boats, but boats that come from Malapascua for the day. They usually return to Malapascua around 2:30-3:00 p.m. Keep in mind that people pay 1,300-1,500 pesos for this round trip, which gives you an idea of what you might pay.

How to get from Pintuyan to Malapascua via Kalanggaman

If you’ve come to this corner of the Philippines to see the beautiful whale shark, you’ll surely want to know how to get from Pintuyan to Malapascua. As with the previous route, it isn’t easy, but it’s doable. Follow these steps:

Take a bus or van to Sogod. Simply head out of town and wait for one to pass. Vans usually charge 150 pesos, and the bus costs 80 pesos. The journey takes between 1 and 2 hours. Keep in mind that you can skip this step if you happen to spot a bus heading to Ormoc (it usually costs around 200 pesos and takes 5 hours).
Take another bus to Ormoc. The journey takes about 4 hours, and tickets cost around 180 pesos.
Take a van or bus to Palompon. We recommend the van.
Take a boat to Kalanggaman and, from there, to Malapascua. You’ll find the details in the previous section.

Given the schedules, there’s a good chance you’ll need to stay overnight in Palompon or Ormoc, so keep that in mind.

How to get from Hilongos to Malapascua

If you’ve been staying in Hilongos or Inopacan to visit the Cuatro Islas, you can get to Malapascua by taking any of the buses that pass along the main road heading to Ormoc. The journey takes about 3 hours. Then follow the steps from Ormoc that we covered above.

2) How to get from Leyte to Malapascua via Bogo

If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to go via Kalanggaman, the other option is to use the Port of Bogo (Polambato). Bogo is a city near the Port of Maya, where boats leave for Malapascua. In this case, the journey would go something like this:

Depending on where you are in Leyte (Pintuyan, Padre Burgos, Hilongos…), you’ll need to find transportation to the Port of Palompon. The options are explained in the sections just above.
Take a boat to Polambato from Palompon: Aznar Shipping leaves at 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (in the opposite direction, at 11:30 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.). The journey takes 3 hours and costs around 300 pesos.
Take a tricycle from the port to the main road: you can share one, which won’t cost more than 20 pesos per person, or pay for the whole vehicle. We paid 100 pesos.
Wait for any bus passing through on its way to Maya: the trip takes about 45 minutes, and the fare is just 50 pesos (depending on the type of bus).
Take a bangka from Maya to Malapascua: the fare is 200 pesos (plus 140 pesos in fees). The journey takes approximately 45 minutes. Keep in mind that boats leave until 5:00 p.m.

How to get to Malapascua from the Camotes Islands

Although it isn’t a particularly trendy destination yet, if you’re taking a leisurely trip around the Philippines and looking for laid-back places, we recommend checking out our guide to Things to do in Camotes to see what this group of islands near Cebu has to offer.

It’s easy to combine a visit to Camotes with a visit to Malapascua or Bantayan because boats from Camotes arrive in Danao, which is along the route connecting Cebu with Maya or Hagnaya, where boats leave for Malapascua and Bantayan, respectively.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Take a boat from the Port of Consuelo to Danao: Jomalia Shipping operates here daily, roughly between 6:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., with ro-ro ferries and fast craft (high-speed boats). The journey takes between 1.5 and 2.5 hours and costs between 300 and 650 pesos, depending on the boat. You can check schedules and book through this link.
In Danao, you can wait for any bus heading to Maya. The journey takes about 2.5 hours. The usual fare is around 200 pesos, although it depends on the type of bus.
In Maya, take any bangka heading to Malapascua (200 pesos + 140 pesos in fees). The trip takes around 45 minutes.

For more information on getting to the first island, take a look at How to get to Camotes.

How to get to Malapascua from other parts of the Philippines

As we mentioned, Cebu needs to be your starting point for getting to Malapascua. You can read our guide to How to get to Cebu and, from there, follow the steps we’ve outlined above to get to Malapascua.

We’ve also put together several guides for getting there from specific destinations. For example:

Malapascua Guide

You’ll find much more information in our Malapascua Guide: things to do, where to stay, where to eat, and other useful details.

Need any more information? Ask us in the comments, and we’ll be happy to help.

How to Get to Malapascua: Routes, Prices and Travel Tips